Strategic Planning

Every organisation needs two basic things to base its existence: a goal and a plan for how to achieve a set goal. All other aspects are secondary, expanding the structure and providing more opportunities.

ELSA's main goal is clearly expressed in its vision. As an Association, we strive for "a just world in which there is respect for human dignity and cultural diversity". All our activities should go in this direction, no matter what country or what university we are in. At this stage, however, the fundamental question arises: "How to do it?" How to make the Network of 44 European countries, whose members and officers change every year, work together? The answer is rather simple. We need a plan, long-term, multi-faceted, taking into account all areas of activity - in one word "strategic" plan.

What is it?

Strategic planning is the process of documenting and establishing a direction of your organisation - by assessing both where you are and where you’re going. The strategic plan gives you a place to record your vision and values, as well as your long-term goals and the action plans you’ll use to reach them. A well-written strategic plan can play a pivotal role in your growth and success because it tells you and your members how best to respond to opportunities and challenges.

Why do we do this in ELSA?

• Continuity: Strategic goals help in knowledge transfer. Thanks to them, we can set directions for the development of the organisation in specific areas and facilitate the process of transferring governance, creating good practices and standards.

• Long-term opportunities: Our term of office is one year. It can be said that it is a lot, but taking into account large and complex projects or structural changes, it is only 12 months. Such plans can be included in a multi-year development strategy, thanks to which we will be sure that the efforts of one term will not be thwarted and the Association will be able to undertake more demanding tasks.

• Sustainability: A multi-year plan facilitates a comprehensive analysis of the organisation's development. It allows for increased efforts and prioritisation of areas requiring action without neglecting others at the same time. Moreover, it provides excellent material for evaluation and implementation of improvements.

How does it look in practice?

1. At the beginning, a thorough analysis of the current state of the organisation should be made. Consider each area of ​​your activity and detail the pros and cons, practices to follow up, and things to be removed or changed.

2. Then group the needs for change into separate categories, trying to create a list of main goals to be achieved.

3. The next step is to analyse each goal and identify smaller aims with a greater degree of detail, the achievement of which will lead to the achievement of the main goal.

4. The final stage of planning the content is to identify specific means to achieve the goals set. The list should be detailed, realistic and accurate.

5. Finally, it is essential to put your plans on the timeline. Taking into account the knowledge and experience of working in a respective National or Local Group, you should decide how long it will take to complete individual tasks. The plan cannot be overloaded or too lengthy. Remember to prioritise and adjust the pace of work to the needs of the group.

6. Remember about frequent evaluation of your plans. The reality of the organisation is constantly changing so ongoing updates are necessary to maintain the accuracy of the strategy.